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Ex-brother bailed ahead of sex charge extradition bid

Joanne McCarthy

FORMER Catholic brother Bernard Kevin McGrath has returned to New Zealand from Sri Lanka a week early to face an extradition hearing to Australia on child sex charges.

McGrath, 65, was granted bail in a Christchurch court on Monday morning while he considers his next move in relation to 252 child sex charges in Australia.

News of his return to New Zealand was greeted with relief by the family of an alleged victim who had feared McGrath would not return from a Sri Lankan holiday where he was staying at a tea plantation.

''It's excellent news. This really is very good news and an enormous relief after all this time,'' said the Central Coast father of an alleged victim who reported sexual abuse allegations to police two years ago.

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The alleged victim had been distressed by news that McGrath had left New Zealand for Sri Lanka months ago after police in New South Wales laid 252 charges alleging McGrath repeatedly raped, molested and abused dozens of young boys at church-run institutions in the Newcastle-Maitland diocese over several decades.

Charlestown police confirmed McGrath returned to New Zealand a week earlier than they had been expecting.

In Christchurch District Court, defence counsel Phillip Allan said McGrath had returned from Sri Lanka knowing he would be arrested. He would have seen news reports on a New Zealand website before his return.

''Instead of staying in Sri Lanka or running, he has chosen to come back,'' Mr Allan told Judge Jane Farish when McGrath appeared in court.

He said the police now had McGrath's passport and suggested he could be released on bail with conditions that would reduce his ''flight risk'', including regular reporting to police.

Prosecutor Mark Zarifeh said the Crown opposed bail because of the flight risk and the seriousness of the offending.

Judge Farish allowed bail, ordering McGrath to live with his sister in Christchurch. She ordered McGrath to appear at the central city courthouse on December 17.